Heart of My Desire
by hp4evr123
Summary: The Mikaelsons have become desperate to protect Hope against the disturbing evil in the city. Vincent leads them to a powerful witch that may be the key to the Hollow's undoing, but what will happen if Klaus becomes enchanted with the witch? Will she still do what she must to destroy the Hollow?
1. Chapter 1

**This story follows the story line of season 4, with some modifications to allow for the OC. The majority of the story will be in Klaus' POV and I'm not a boy so I did my best. There may be some deviation from character to allow for my plot.**

 **Thanks and enjoy.**

"Tell me again why we're going all the way on the other side of the river to meet a witch when we have a city full of them," I snapped to Vincent as I pulled the car over three houses down from our destination. We stepped out into the blistering heat of the sunny fall day. New Orleans, being in the south, was unseasonably warm for the fall. It made me miss the cool breezes in Mystic Falls at this time of year. The leaves in Mystic Falls were vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds. Here, leaves changed from green to brown seemingly overnight.

The trees on this street were just beginning to release brown leaves. As we strolled down the road, I noticed that trees near the center of the street were still a vibrant green. To most people, that would just be an abnormality, or a barely noticed error in nature. To the trained eye, it meant a witch lived near.

"Considering we are running out of options..." Vincent trailed off. "And besides, she was a baby the last time the Hollow was around. Eva went after her, and she survived. Which is not an easy feat."

I rolled my eyes and followed him up the street to a small cottage with a white picket fence and blooming garden. A figure was hunched over, tending to some plants. A wide hat popped up when we neared.

She was beautiful. Her body was short, soft, curvy. She wore pale yellow overalls, with a white tank top beneath. Her wide brimmed hat shaded a pale face, flushed with the heat of the sun. When her eyes landed on Vincent, her pink lips curved into a delighted smile.

"Hello, Eloise," Vincent said in greeting. She did not answer, instead she opened the picket fence and gestured for him - and me - to enter. She gestured to the cottage, and we followed her inside. I tensed as I walked through the doorway, still unsure of entering the homes of witches, even after 1000 years, and wondering if her gesture was invitation enough to enter. When I passed through without issue, I shook the tension off and pretended that I hadn't been affected in any way.

The cottage was smaller on the inside than it looked on the outside. The living room was smaller than my bedroom at the compound, with two worn sofas, a small brick fireplace, and a rug and coffee table that had seen better days. Though everything looked old and wasn't in great shape, it was obvious the home was clean and well-loved. A tall, skinny bookcase wedged in the nearest corner held several shelves of grimoires, the only sign this was a witch's house.

The girl was silent as she pulled her hat off, letting down her long, dark brown hair. Her frizzy curls covered her back. She tossed her hat to the sofa and shook out her hair. When she turned and smiled again, it was welcoming.

"Eloise, this is Klaus Mikaelson. I know you're very busy, but we came seeking your help."

Eloise made a few motions with her hands in answer and it struck me that she couldn't speak. The silence suddenly made sense. I looked at Vincent expectantly. Eloise turned and walked into a different room, and Vincent sat down on the shabby sofa.

"She's making tea, she'll be back," he explained as his eyes motioned for me to sit. I ignored him and stood, turning to look out the window over the front garden. It continued to elude me how this girl - witch or not - was going to help us protect Hope and defeat the Hollow. I pondered while Eloise puttered in her kitchen, retrieving tea.

I heard her steps, though she didn't breathe a word. She placed a tray of iced tea and glasses on the coffee table and made more motions to Vincent. He made a few back, one that I expressly recognized as "thank you". I walked over to the table and smiled as I mimicked the gesture. Maybe showing that would ease me into her good graces. I took a glass and sipped, so as not to be rude and offend the witch that could possibly be the one to protect my child.

"Eloise, we came for your help. It seems as though the magic that I awakened all those years ago has somehow returned to New Orleans. It's gone after four kids, and a fifth as well. I'm sure you've heard that Klaus has a daughter," Vincent began explaining. Eloise's bright hazel eyes shot to me and back to him and she nodded. "The Hollow has taken the children and we know that she's up to no good. We freed the kids and brought them back to their families, but Hope says that the spirit isn't gone yet." Eloise began motioning back to Vincent in quick, short spurts of sign language. I couldn't decipher most of it, as I had never taken the time to learn the language, but I figured she must have been upset by what he said. Vincent looked resigned, and turned to me. I braced myself for the denial and prepared myself to torture the girl. "She wants to help."

It took me by complete surprise. My body sagged forward and I gazed at the girl before me, unused to such a quick and ready reply. Vincent had been right; all we had to do was ask.

Eloise stepped towards me and extended her hand slowly. Her eyes locked on mine, and I saw a peace there that I had only ever dreamed about before. She was calm, and she was unhaunted. Her eyes reminded me immediately of my daughter's. They were full of love, peace, and innocence.

Her hand reached out for me and touched my chest. I breathed deeply, inhaling by mistake her strong, warm smell. The outermost smell was the sweat on her skin. Between being outside in the mid-day heat and the lack of air conditioning in her home, even I was close to sweating through my shirt. But underneath that was the smell of the sun itself, of warmth and sweet flowers. The purity in her eyes reflected the purity of her scent. I looked at her and just knew she hadn't killed a person in her life. She hadn't so much as cursed anyone, either.

It occurred to me that if I was feeling her purity, she must be feeling my darkness. But the look in her eyes remained unchanged, and so I wondered if she was picking up on anything from me. Surely if she was, the horror would be reflected in her gaze. Her eyes remained calm, steady, and unchanged by surprise, unmarred by horror.

Eloise's warm hand on my chest pressed harder, until it felt as though she were one with my skin.

Her hand pulled away as quickly as it had extended. Vincent watched the two of us, deciphering the magic that she had done.

Eloise broke her eye contact with me to turn and sign to Vincent. He nodded and stood.

"She'll get to work and let us know when she has something," he explained. He gestured to her again, and I recognized "thank you" many times.

I followed Vincent back outside and down the street, all the while thinking of the girl who had so quickly agreed to help me - a monster. I had killed her people, murdered innocents, and had done other heinous things. She had seen all of these things, yet she remained willing to help.

"What's wrong with her?" I demanded of Vincent when we had gotten back into the car.

"After Eva came for her, her parents sacrificed themselves to protect her. That love, the love of a parent for their child, has protected her since. Eva couldn't touch her, but the Hollow left its mark on her by cursing her. She can't speak, she hasn't ever been able to speak. No one has heard a peep from her since before her parents died."

"Although that's good to know, it's not what I was asking," I retorted. "I meant, what is wrong with her that she just agrees to help the strangers on her doorstep without even an entire conversation?"

"Well, Klaus, she isn't you," Vincent began. I interrupted him immediately.

"She had no reservations about helping. She knows who I am, she knows what I've done, and still she agrees to help."

"Not everyone is like you - not everyone has ulterior motives," Vincent said simply. He sighed, then continued."Listen, that girl has had a lot of hardship in her life. She lost both her parents. She can't talk. Slowly but surely, the rest of her family died. She's been on her own, pushing through, since she was a teenager. The community keeps an eye on her but she likes to do things herself. Now, most people would have these terrible things happen and would resort to anger and destruction. They would turn into someone like you. But Eloise has never been like that. Hardship didn't ruin her, it made her kind."

I thought on Vincent's words for a while as I drove back to the quarter. Eloise hadn't let misfortune make her bitter. It made her strong, it made her kind.


	2. Chapter 2

She stood in front of the compound, staring up at the building, face unreadable. Her long dark hair was pulled back into a braid from the crown of her head down her back. She wore a white summer dress, sleeveless and thin, with tiny pink flowers sprinkled along the hem. As I neared, I caught her soft scent drifting over on the breeze, warmth and flowers.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand sign language," I prefaced as I approached her. Eloise's head turned to glance at me. A smile spread as she looked at me, and I found myself surprised at the flutter in my stomach her smile brought me. I shook it off as I neared her. "I would like to know why you're staring at my home instead of being inside, or even knocking on the door."

Eloise shot me an amused smirk that surprised me. Brows raised, I strolled up to the door and opened it for her, allowing her to pass inside first.

I followed the pretty witch inside and we were immediately accosted by Hope.

"Daddy, you're back!" she shouted as she threw herself into my arms. I caught her and spun her around.

"Of course, princess," I crowed to her. I set her back to her feet. "I have someone I'd like you to meet. Hope, this is Eloise. Eloise, this is Hope."

Eloise stooped to Hope's level, bending at the waist so that their eyes would meet. Hope extended her hand and Eloise shook it gently. When their palms touched, something passed between them. Hope's brow scrunched and Eloise's face emptied, showing no emotion. Eloise dropped Hope's hand as if she had been burned. Hope's innocent blue eyes turned up to me, her brow furrowed.

"She needs to purify me again. Vincent's didn't...work right," Hope explained. She looked back at Eloise. "And she was waiting outside because she was surprised there was no protection spell sealing the compound yet. She suggests sealing it."

I stared after my daughter as she extended her hand to Eloise to lead her away. Eloise took her hand gingerly, shot me an unreadable look over her shoulder, and followed Hope upstairs, where Freya was no doubt cooking something up and where Eloise would have access to an abundance of herbs.

When I caught up with Eloise and Hope, it was to find Eloise mid-purification. Hope stood in an infinity symbol on the floor as Eloise burned sage methodically, silently mouthing an incantation. Freya watched on, her face impressed, as my newest ally doused my daughter in purity. Eloise's purification ritual took the better part of an hour. Hope watched with rapt attention as Eloise worked over her. First was sage, then lavender. As the herbs burned, they perfumed the house with a scent so strong, I imagined that evil would have a difficult time penetrating the walls. I watched as a strand of darkness escaped from Hope, entwining and rippling in the opposite portion of the infinity symbol.

When Eloise concluded her ritual, she opened her eyes and dropped her arms. A small nub of bound lavender was all that remained from the ritual. The darkness had dissipated, vanishing from the symbol. Eloise touched Hope's shoulder, brushing past her to exit the room. Hope looked at me.

"She's going to purify the compound so that the Hollow can't enter here," Hope explained. She stared after Eloise longingly.

"You can watch if you'd like," Freya told her with a gentle smile. "And hand her the herbs when she needs them. That would be helpful." Hope grabbed a handful of lavender and sage and chased after Eloise. Freya looked at me with a pleased smile. "Your new witch knows what she's doing. Anyone who knows their magic knows that purification isn't something to rush through." I ignored the barb aimed at Vincent and shrugged.

"She is...knowledgeable it seems. Vincent assures me she is the best we can hope for against the Hollow."

Freya nodded, her eyes far off. "There's something...off."

"She's cursed," I explained. "By the Hollow. She can't speak."

"She's powerful," Freya mused. "I wonder why she's never tried to get rid of the curse."

"Perhaps she hasn't had that power," I reasoned. "Or she can't do it on herself."

"I'm calling the siphon witch Hayley had for Rebecca," Freya stated. She shrugged when I looked surprised. "No one deserves a curse that prevents them from speaking." Freya moved to her cell phone and I exited the room. I found myself on the balcony, watching over my daughter and Eloise below.

Eloise had dragged a fire pit to the center of the room. Hope stood beside her, eager to help with arms full of herbs. Eloise took the bound sage and lavender, unbound them, and tossed them into the pit. I watched carefully as she brushed her hand over Hope's. Hope closed her eyes just as Eloise did, and the herbs ignited in the pit. Eloise and Hope began a spell that had the smoke twisting around the compound. Though I heard Hope's chanting, Eloise moved her lips in unison with no sound escaping. I felt, rather than heard, Freya at my side.

"She really is something," she mused softly.

"Yes," I agreed with a slow smile. "She is."


	3. Chapter 3

By nightfall, the compound had been purified. Evil would not be able to enter, but it wasn't sealed as Freya would have sealed it, with no one other than a Mikaelson able to enter. We still needed Vincent, Marcel, and Eloise able to come and go as needed.

Nightfall also brought a siphon witch for Eloise. Freya explained the process to a cautious Eloise. Though she didn't look enthused, she reluctantly agreed to allow the siphon's attempt.

The siphon grasped Eloise's hand and a faint red glow enveloped her. The siphon pulled the curse from Eloise, it looked relatively painless. When it was over, the siphon left quickly. Freya and I watched Eloise curiously as she moved her mouth tentatively, stretching long under-used muscles.

"Well," I stated softly in the silence. "How do you feel?"

"I...feel...fine," Eloise croaked. Her voice cracked and she winced, but a slow, tentative smile spread across her lips. That smile immediately put me at the mercy of this tiny woman. Her very essence was kind, pure, and deserving of protection. No harm would come to her so long as I was able to protect her. "Thank you," she whispered, rubbing her throat. Freya smiled and extended her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Eloise," she said with a smile.

"The pleasure is mine, Freya," Eloise croaked. She cleared her throat, and that seemed to help.

"I hate to cut the pleasantries short," Freya said tentatively. "But the Hollow..."

Eloise nodded and her eyes turned to me. "I sense the Hollow in you, Klaus. Its power is rooted in you."

I startled from this statement, unsure how I felt about being accused of harboring the evil that was hellbent on sacrificing my daughter. Eloise's eyes were not accusatory, however, and neither was her tone. It was simple and matter-of-fact.

"I know this is a shock," she continued gently. "And please don't take this the wrong way, but I saw what happened when you were in the circle with Marcel. I will need to purify the both of you. The Hollow is after your power since it was not given the children's power. I'm honestly surprised you aren't dead yet."

"Marcel's been trying to kill him," Freya interjected. I rolled my eyes and tried to feign nonchalance. Eloise had done enough for the night at least.

"Sit down, please," Eloise said as she stood. She walked over to Freya's shelves of herbs and began browsing. I followed directions without griping as Hayley and Elijah entered the room.

"Did you just...do what you were told?" Hayley asked in mock-shock. I ignored her question and waited for the witch to begin her spell. She turned from the herbs and took a bowl down from another shelf.

"Hello," Eloise said to Hayley and Elijah, her large eyes doe-like and innocent. She began dumping herbs into the bowl and crushing them.

"Hello, Eloise," Elijah said quietly. Everyone was quiet, but there were questions lingering in the air.

"Eva Sinclair came for me when I was three," Eloise stated as she began to add a liquid to the herbs. "And yes, I remember it." There was a twinge of darkness in her words; it was something I had never expected to hear from her. She rolled her shoulders and shuddered. "My mother sensed the Hollow in her. My family has studied ancient magic for generations. So, rather than go up against a fight she would lose, my mother sacrificed herself so I would live. Her sacrifice and my father's have protected me for my whole life."

Hayley hesitated, but ultimately asked her question. "How...how did she do it?"

Eloise didn't answer. Instead, she dipped her hands in the herbal mixture and stood behind me with a green paste on her hands. She pressed her fingers to my temples and began a soft chant. I felt waves coursing through my body, gaining strength as they worked their way from my head to my toes. Each crashing wave washed away some darkness inside of me that I had been unaware of. When she stopped, my body tingled. Eloise wiped her hands on a towel and pressed her hands to my shoulders. I could feel her reading me. She seemed satisfied and wiped the herbal paste from my temples. She tossed the towel to the table and sighed.

"We - my family - practice magic the old way. That means that we strive to keep nature in balance. And we do not practice ancestral magic. When a witch in my family dies, we release our magic back to nature."

"That doesn't answer my question," Hayley stated in confusion. Eloise nodded.

"My mother didn't release her magic back to nature when she died. Before she died, she tore the magic from her soul and gave it to me." Eloise paused. "The women of my family have been doing this for generations, in preparation for defeating the Hollow. And that is why I am much more powerful than witches my age."

"You have... _generations_ of magic within you," Freya breathed quietly.

Eloise nodded. Eloise's back straightened. "I don't like it when she goes after children. Call it what you will," Eloise sighed. "I will protect your child as my parents protected me. I will be her shield against the Hollow."

"And what do you want in return?" I asked, still hesitant to trust this girl. She seemed wise beyond her years, but I had seen too many people fall for much less than the Hollow. And I had seen betrayals over much less in my own family.

"I don't want anything in return," Eloise stated. Her dark hazel eyes pinned me to the chair. I felt her softness touch some part of me, aching to convince me. "Seeing your child live will be enough." Eloise broke her stare as I silently acquiesced. "Take me to Marcel, please."

Eloise grabbed the bowl with the rest of the paste and followed me out of the room and downstairs. Hayley trailed after us.

"I'm coming with you," Hayley stated as we neared the entrance of the compound. I turned, ready to demand she stay. Eloise answered before I could.

"Klaus, you stay. Hayley, you bring me."

It was the first time she had said my name, and it caused me to stiffen in surprise. As did her command.

"I'm going with you," I stated, voice rising in anger. Her eyes found mine, and my anger evaporated.

"You will stay here. You will only provoke him and make this more difficult." Her hazel eyes bore into mine again, challenging me. She had fire in her soul, and I felt something spark in my chest in response. "Come on, Hayley."

* * *

They returned hours later. Hayley looked fine; Eloise looked exhausted. Blood covered her hands, and I grabbed them and examined them immediately.

"It's not mine," she said, yanking her hands back. She had jumped as if I had shocked her.

"Marcel was not himself," Hayley hesitated. "He tried to attack her." I stiffened.

" _Tried_ ," Eloise emphasized. She sighed heavily. "It's time for me to go home. I'll be back tomorrow."

"It's late, you can stay here," Hayley offered the young witch. Eloise shook her head.

"No, no," she protested. "I need things from home anyway."

"At least let us drive you," Hayley protested. Eloise waved her hand.

"I'll be fine, Hayley."

Hayley looked to me, her face concerned. "I'm worried about her, Klaus. One of us should go with her."

"I'll take her," I said softly. Eloise tried to protest again, but I stopped her by speaking first. "You can barely hold your eyes open; you look like you're going to drop at any second. This is not up for debate." I scooped her up into my arms. She was light and warm. As I held her against my chest, she rested further on me, allowing me to support her weight.

I buckled her into the SUV and pulled out into the sparkling night. The lights of the city dazzled even through the dark tinted windows. When I glanced over, I discovered Eloise slumped against the seat, sleeping. Pulling out of the neighborhood, I took the ramp that led to the bridge, crossed the river, and headed to her little cottage. She was still sleeping when I pulled up to her garden and parked the car.

Unbuckling her was more difficult; she was dead weight. I managed to extract her and bring her inside. Once past her threshold, I paused. I hadn't been past the living room before and I was unsure where her room was.

"Down the hall, to the right," she said softly. I looked down; her eyes were slowly blinking open. I followed her directions to her bedroom and pushed open the door.

A black cat shot off the bed and darted between my legs, disappearing down the hallway. Eloise's bedroom was something I would have expected from her. The room was painted white, and there were white linens with thin gold accents. The furniture was white, the floor was wood with varnish peeling up in the far corners of the room. Clothes were strewn about the floor and a single picture frame sat on the desk that was shoved in the corner, covered with open grimoires. A line of potted plants adorned her large windowsill. Beyond her window was a garden in the rear of the house overflowing with herbs and flowers. I laid her on the soft bed and began to take off her shoes. I placed them near her closet. When I turned back around, she was sitting up, staring at me. Her eyes were dark and soulful; her face was gentle.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked her. She hesitated, then nodded.

"I don't usually do this much magic in a day. I'm just out of practice." She paused, and seemed to debate with herself before continuing. "It's been a peaceful five years. There's been a false sense of security. It's lulled everyone into a very weak state. Magic deteriorates when you don't use it."

"Like a muscle," I mused, remembering my own mother's weak power compared to her sister's. Eloise nodded. She stood, the floor creaking beneath her, and took two steps closer to me.

"I'm not sure why..." she trailed off. She took another step closer to me. She was directly in front of me, her body was just a hair away from mine. She wasn't touching me but I could feel her warmth pressing against me. She looked up at me, tilting her head back to look into my eyes. I was hypnotized as I stood before her. Part of me felt as though I should be kneeling before her. I resisted the urge and waited for her to make another move.

Heat burned in her eyes. She placed her bloody palm against my chest. This time when she touched me, I didn't feel her reading me. There was only more heat.

As quickly as she had come to me, she flitted away. She was nervous, I could smell it in her scent. She timidly tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and exited her room. I could hear the water running in the bathroom. I sat on her bed as I waited for her to return.

When she returned, she was wrapped in a threadbare towel. Her hair dripped down her back. Her thick mane was soaked and was creating a small puddle on the floor.

"You're still here," she stated. Her tone was unsure. Her hazel eyes looked tired, but pleased. My emotions roiled inside of me, balled so tightly together I couldn't separate or identify one from the other. I finally settled on a response that reflected some of what I was feeling.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," I informed her softly. I didn't mention that this was out of character for me. I stood from her bed, not wanting to intrude on her personal space.

Eloise stepped towards me, dripping water on the wood floor, and before I knew what was happening, she reached her arm around my neck and pulled me into a kiss.

It had been years since I had been with a human and even longer since I had been with a witch. I had forgotten how fragile and delicate they were until Eloise was cradled in my embrace. I was terrified to touch her, to break her. It was she who set the pace, and it was she who pushed me backwards until I fell onto her bed.

She broke our kiss, hovering above me. Her dark hair made a curtain that shrouded us from the world. In that moment, it would have been easy to pretend the rest of the world didn't exist and the Hollow wasn't after my daughter. It was because of my daughter that I opened my mouth to speak, to pause whatever was about to happen.

"Eloise," I stated. She placed a finger to my lips, silencing me.

"Don't," she said. She pulled herself up and off me, tugging the towel tighter around her body. "I'm so sorry; I don't know what came over me."

I was up in an instant, arms circling her, pulling her to my chest.

"I wasn't going to stop you. I was only going to warn you, love," I told her gently. She looked up at me, tears welling in her hazel eyes. Her wide eyes were greener from her tears and almost seemed to glow in the dim moonlight. "It seems...well, you see, Hope..." I trailed off, unsure how to tell her that there was a possibility she could get pregnant from our union, and I didn't have any protection.

She giggled, breaking the seriousness of the moment. Her hand reached up to hold my neck again, and I felt her surge to her toes to cup my face with her other hand.

"I'm not worried about that," she stated. Her eyes sparkled with seduction, pulling me in deeper to their depths.


	4. Chapter 4

Surprisingly, it wasn't the buttery yellow sunshine falling directly on my face that woke me. Neither was it the soft, beautiful, naked witch wrapped around me beneath a thin white sheet. It was the consistent buzzing of my cell phone, vibrating against the hard wood floor somewhere in the room. Eloise, blissfully unaware, slept on beside me. Her head was tucked into my shoulder with her hand resting lightly on my chest. One of her legs was twisted with mine beneath the sheets. I hadn't been this vulnerable with a woman in a while. I hadn't slept in the same bed as a woman in even longer.

The phone stopped buzzing, and I relaxed back into the bed. Not two seconds later, it was buzzing again.

I gently untangled myself from Eloise and grabbed my phone from the floor. I answered, neglecting to look at the name, full of irritation.

"What," I demanded in a deadly voice.

" _Klaus_?" Hayley asked. " _Where are you_?"

I refused to answer her question, and instead questioned her myself. Eloise stirred in the bed behind me. "Why are you calling, Hayley?"

" _You didn't come home and we were worried. Where is Eloise, is she okay_?" Hayley asked.

"I stayed with her, she was frightened to be alone. I'll be back later." I hung up the phone before she could ask me anything else, and silenced it. I moved closer to Eloise as I flipped my phone into the pile of my clothes on the floor. Eloise stretched like a cat and moaned as she curled back around me.

"Who was that?" she asked sleepily.

"No matter, go back to sleep," I urged her. Her eyes looked up at me from her position on my bare chest and she grinned shyly.

"I'm awake now..." she whispered. She hesitated before inching closer to me, asking permission with her eyes. I stiffened, internally debating, and she stopped immediately, frozen and naked just inches from my face.

"I'm...not one of the good guys," I explained as she shrunk back in the sheets. She pulled one tighter around herself, hiding her body from my view. "I don't want to disappoint you as I have so many others."

Eloise's eyes drifted, and she looked far away. I winced as I realized that it was me who ruined this morning. She had been happy, or at least content, until I had hesitated.

"Don't worry," she said softly. Her eyes were not accusatory, nor was her tone, but her words seemed so. "I know how to pretend something didn't happen."

Eloise slipped from the bed, flashing me before she was able to wrap her robe around and tie it at her waist.

"Eloise," I began. She looked back at me, eyes open and waiting. "I-"

"Really," she said softly, earnestly, "It's fine."

Eloise grabbed a dress from her closet and went to the bathroom to change. I dressed quickly in her absence and slipped my phone into my pocket. When she came back, she was a vision even in something simple. She wore a v-neck rose dress that wrapped around her body and tied at the waist. It showed all of her curves, pulling my craving for her to the surface. Something was between us; something was electric or a fire burning.

Eloise grabbed a pair of shoes, slipped them on, and then exited her bedroom once again.

I found her puttering around in another room, one set up as a workshop. It was painted blue, with the same peeling varnish on the floors as her bedroom. Shelves lined the walls, filled with herbs, flowers, and liquids of all shapes, colors, and sizes. The shelves were full but organized; each glass jar was meticulously labeled in neat, black print. Eloise was placing glass jars carefully in a bag at a wood table in the center of the room. She glanced up as I spoke, announcing my entrance.

"Is there anything I can get for you?" I asked her softly, tentatively.

"Yes, the red grimoire from the living room, please," she said gently as she continued to pull ingredients. I went to the living room to retrieve the book and found myself browsing her shelf. Aside from the shelves of grimoires, there was one shelf at the very top of the bookcase with a line of novels.

I returned the grimoire to Eloise. "'The loneliest moment in someone's life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly,'" I quoted. Though it wasn't a love quote, it seemed appropriate in referencing the Hollow.

"Is you quoting _The Great Gatsby_ supposed to impress me?" Eloise asked with a hint of sarcasm in her tone. She glanced at me over her shoulder with sly eyes and I wasn't sure if she caught the significance of me sharing my feelings.

I chuckled. "Women usually find me quite charming when I quote literature to them."

"I imagine they do," she mused. But she was smiling too, and I knew that she wasn't angry. "Everything is going to work out, Klaus." And I knew she understood my meaning behind Fitzgerald's words.

Eloise packed the grimoire and we exited her home. We climbed back into the SUV and I began driving us back to the compound. When we were on the bridge, able to look over the city skyline, Eloise spoke. I could hear the thick hesitation in her voice.

"Klaus?" she asked tentatively. I turned to her, listening. "I don't trust Vincent. Not with this."

"Why is that?"

"He brought the Hollow back with his wife all those years ago..." She hesitated again, I wondered if she was hesitant to tell me or hesitant to throw her friend aside. "I don't think that the darkness has ever left him. I think if it came down to it, he would choose the Hollow again." Eloise paused. "She's very persuasive."

"You keep saying 'she'," I stated. Eloise nodded.

"I've told you, my family has spent generations studying this." Eloise gazed out the window, pensive. "I know how to end her."

The silence settled around us comfortably; I wanted to ask her plan but knew it would be better to wait for the others. And Freya's opinion would be helpful as well.


	5. Chapter 5

Back at the compound, everyone was gathered in the study. When I walked in with Eloise, their voices fell and lulled. Rebekah and Kol had arrived in the night and I could hear Hope stirring upstairs. Marcel sat in a chair in the corner, part of this but on the periphery. His eyes looked apologetic when they landed on Eloise.

Eloise dumped her bag unceremoniously and retrieved the red grimoire from her bag. She opened it, letting it fall on a page that had several diagrams and cramped script that I could not decipher. Freya stood from her seat and poured over the text with Eloise, her eyes moving rapidly.

"Who are we contacting?" Freya asked.

"My mother," Eloise answered, pulling a pendant from the bag. She held the necklace in her hand, allowing the clear green stone to dangle as she pulled a glass jar from the bag. Its contents were white.

"Why?" Freya prompted. Eloise glanced at the book and began pouring a salt circle.

"She can tell me if my plan will work." Eloise paused as she completed an intricate mark at the center of the circle. "Will you help me, Freya?"

"Yes," Freya said immediately. She stepped in the circle and stood opposite Eloise from the mark. They joined hands, and Freya grabbed a portion of the necklace as well.

"Klaus?" Eloise asked. I looked up, her eyes directed me to the circle. I stepped inside, and Freya and Eloise's joined hands touched mine, harnessing my power. First, everything went black; then everything exploded with color.

We were in Eloise's house and a woman that looked a lot like her was on the sofa. They had the same facial features, but her eyes were greener than Eloise's hazel and her hair was more auburn than brown. Freya and Eloise were sitting across from her and I stood close to the bookshelf.

"Mother," Eloise said softly. The woman smiled.

"Eloise," she said softly. "I've been expecting you."

"We've come - ," Eloise began. Her mother cut her off.

"I know why you've come, and I have answers for you. Your plan will work, but it will not be an easy path to tread. You must allow the Hollow's followers to awaken her before you will be able to sever her soul from her magic." Eloise's mother paused, allowing those words to sink in. On the sofa, Eloise had tensed.

"But if we allow - ," her mother cut her off again.

"I know you're frightened," she said with certainty. "But you have to trust me. This is the way."

"Once she's resurrected, how do I get her to me? How do I get her still long enough?" Eloise was getting upset; it was obvious this wasn't a conversation she was expecting.

"I know you'll think of something, you're very smart." Eloise's mother paused, her kind green eyes turning concerned. "Eloise, there is something else. Restoring the link to ancestral magic can help. The ancestors might have a way you can hold her somewhere as you unravel her."

"The ancestors were the enemies just a few years ago," Eloise protested, her expression skeptical. Though I didn't say anything, I was in agreement. Let the dead stay dead. Enough of them hated my family already.

"Time passes differently here," Eloise's mother said softly. Her eyes were wistful and her tone gave her words a double meaning. "And you've spent too much time here as it is."

Though Eloise had created the meeting, it was her mother who ended it. Just as the last words left her lips, the darkness returned and we were suddenly back in the study. Everyone looked anxious as Eloise and Freya dropped their hands and gazed worriedly at each other.

"You've been in a trance for hours," Rebekah stated, her voice high with concern. Eloise wilted and fell into a chair, rubbing her eyes and forehead as though she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. In a way, I supposed, she did.

"Yes," she said in agreement.

"Care to tell us all the details?" Rebekah snapped. I glared at her.

"Leave her alone, Rebekah," I stated in a low voice. My tone allowed for no arguments. While the slightly stunned looks around the room made me stiffen, I didn't take back my words. I looked at Eloise just as she was pulling her fingers through her hair, sitting up.

"I have a lot of questions," Freya told Eloise gently. Eloise nodded.

"I have answers," she agreed easily. Rebekah rolled her eyes and left the room.

Freya and Eloise conferenced softly over the grimoires. Hayley left to tend to Hope while Marcel and Elijah hovered. Kol brooded in the corner while I watched the two witches put their heads together and discuss what we had learned from Eloise's mother.

"We need to draw the followers out. We need to figure out exactly who they are and lure them in," Eloise explained. My interest peaked at this, I honed in on their discussion.

"We need bait," Freya agreed. Eloise sighed.

"I can be the bait," she said. Freya looked confused. "I'm powerful, probably next best thing after Klaus or Marcel or Hope."

"Why don't we have a party," I suggested. I shrugged as the women looked at me, confused. "A party always draws people in. Especially a Mikaelson party."

"It could work," Freya nodded. Eloise didn't seem to like the idea, but she nodded in agreement.

"Tomorrow night then," I agreed. I looked at Marcel. "We'll send out invitations today. Marcel, let's merge our guest lists."


	6. Chapter 6

Evening was falling. I hadn't seen Eloise much since we had contacted her mother. She and Freya had been holed up in Freya's workshop, making plans and preparations while Marcel, Elijah, and I busied ourselves with throwing a party. Hayley and Freya had stolen off late in the afternoon for some reason or another, leaving Eloise behind to get ready for the party. Rebekah and Kol were downstairs, greeting guests. Marcel and Elijah were somewhere doing the same. I waited for Eloise outside of Rebekah's room to escort her down to the party. Though we hadn't had time to speak I was aching to see her again.

The door creaked open slowly, and my jaw dropped in reverence. Eloise was a vision in a low cut, strappy black gown that draped gracefully over her figure and to the floor. The neck plunged almost to her waist, there was a slit clear up her thigh, and the top tied back leaving the majority of her shoulders and back exposed to the evening air and my gaze. It would take nothing for me to rip the silk from her form, and yet I held my composure. Diamonds winked at her ears, the only adornment she wore. Her long, dark hair was curled and fell down her back in tumbles.

"You look..."

"Don't," she said softly, her eyes dropping. They were painted beautifully with copper and gold shadows.

"Ravishing," I finished. Her cheeks darkened with a blush. I reached for her arm, touching her elbow. Her blood red lips parted as she looked up into my eyes. Even in heels, she had to look up at my face. The electricity between us crackled, but she looked away before I could connect our lips.

"Shouldn't we get downstairs?" she asked. Her nerves must have been getting the best of her; her voice cracked.

"Of course," I said, offering my arm like a gentleman. She slipped her arm through mine and I led her to the staircase and down. As we descended, people looked up. Rebekah seemed pleased with herself; after a lengthy explanation she had warmed more to Eloise and had loaned her a dress for the evening. Marcel and Elijah glanced before resuming their greetings. Others outright stared at the pretty witch on my arm, no doubt wondering what she was doing with me.

"I need a drink," Eloise stated as we walked the floor, drawing gazes as we strolled. I laughed, not expecting this from her but enjoying it all the same. I led her to the bar and gestured for her to order what she liked. After she received her drink, I ordered one for myself and looked around the party, wondering where to start weeding enemies out.

As if she was reading my mind, Eloise placed a warm hand over mine.

"No need to give the murderous look," she admonished me softly. "We'll find them."

"Ah, so you're familiar with the look now." She chuckled.

"It's hard not to be," she explained. I didn't say anything, but noticed that her hand remained over mine. Her eyes caught sight of something over my shoulder. "Vincent," she stated. He nodded as he approached us.

"You ready?" he asked Eloise. She nodded and threw down her drink in a long gulp. She placed her glass on the bar and followed Vincent as they moved through the crowd, greeting people as they walked.

My gaze followed Eloise around the room. I was so consumed with watching her mingle I almost didn't notice Elijah appear beside me.

"Please tell me you have not set your sights on the only person who can save the city and this family," Elijah intoned quietly.

"Set my sights..." I trailed with a chuckle.

"Please don't tell me you've done anything to her," Marcel said from my other side. "She's..."

"I know what she is," I snapped to both of them. Eloise's eyes caught mine from across the room, they slid over Elijah and Marcel before she turned and smiled at someone taking her hand. Watching her work the room proved her natural charisma. All of the species we had welcomed - witch, vampire, werewolf, hybrid - were eager to meet her. She greeted them in stride.

"Don't hurt her," Marcel said simply, turning to greet someone and offer them a drink.

The party continued. Vincent caught my eye across the room close to eleven, and I followed him to a room where Eloise was already waiting. Marcel and Elijah followed me in.

Eloise was sitting in a chair, her long curls curving around her shoulders and hiding some of her skin from my view. All the better, I was easily distracted by the sight of her skin.

"Eloise thinks she knows who it is," Vincent said urgently. "She's going to lure him upstairs and question him."

"Lure him how?" Marcel asked. Eloise rolled her eyes.

"Well I'm not dressed like this for my health, Marcel."

It seemed all of us stiffened in response. None of us liked the idea of Eloise using her body to lure a man. While Marcel and Elijah were caught up with the moral aspect of it, my morals were stretched but my problem stemmed from the fact that Eloise was mine. Eloise didn't seem phased with our reactions. She stood from the chair, squared her shoulders, and walked to the door. She glanced over her shoulder, pausing before she exited.

"I'll be finished soon. Come up in fifteen."

We found her with a man upstairs in the study. He was dressed in black with a gold serpent curving around his arm. Eloise was on his lap, her leg exposed and her hair rumpled. She was murmuring softly to him as he stroked her leg.

He stood abruptly, placing Eloise lightly on her feet. She stood beside him, igniting a jealous fire in me that I was barely able to quench. Her fingers lingered on his sleeve, calling his attention back to her. He glanced down at her, and when he did, she touched his cheek.

He seemed to melt in her arms and she shoved him back in the chair they had shared. His face was slack-jawed as if he was snoring. Eloise looked up and began speaking quickly and quietly.

"We only have a few moments. I'm altering his memories as we speak. He only needs four of the Hollow's ancient bones to resurrect her, and a large sacrifice. I told him that we had one of the bones."

"We don't have any of the bones," Elijah protested, palms spread. Eloise shook out her curls as she placed her fingers on the man's temples. She closed her eyes, focusing, and began muttering a spell under her breath.

"It's a blade you use to torture each other," she stated with certainty. I scowled and stalked over to my painting on the wall, and revealed a safe.

I retrieved the bone and handed it to Eloise. Her brow wrinkled as she focused harder on the man's head.

"He doesn't know where the other bones are. He just knows they exist." Eloise was frustrated. I placated her with a hand on her shoulder, much to the disdain of Elijah and Marcel. Vincent, too, didn't look pleased at our obvious connection.

"We'll find them," I assured her. She nodded, and released the man's head. She placed the blade in his open hand and nodded to us.

"Let's get out of here," she decided.

We left him in the room, alone, with the door shut. Eloise wasn't sure her tricks would keep him in the dark for long, but she wanted him to think she was on his side. Hopefully, giving him the bone would be a step in the right direction.

We returned to the party and I asked Eloise to dance as we entertained the guests a little longer. She wanted to be sure the man - Marcus, she had discovered - left before the party could officially end. As we swirled around on the dance floor, I felt my siblings' eyes lingering on me and the pretty witch in my arms. Eloise's eyes darted around, focused on the energy of the people around us. She was not concerned with me, my siblings, or even Vincent for that matter. She took her task seriously and watched for Marcus.

Freya and Hayley returned shortly after Marcus rejoined the festivities. Hayley was wearing a blue dress that brushed the floor while Freya wore something a little more revealing. Freya flocked to the bar where her werewolf friend lingered and Hayley made a beeline for Elijah. I was still dancing with Eloise.

"He doesn't seem suspicious," I noted as Eloise and I headed to the bar for a drink. Eloise's eyes were dark.

"He seems victorious," she added. I ordered drinks as Eloise arranged herself on a stool. Her eyes followed Marcus as he made a few rounds around the room. He left shortly after, with an entourage, and Eloise relaxed visibly in her seat. She grinned and took a sip of her drink as her eyes found mine. Before she could speak, Marcel intercepted.

"I was wondering if I could have a dance, Eloise?" he asked with an offered hand. Eloise glanced at me quickly, and when she saw no argument, she smiled and gave Marcel her hand. He towed her to the dance floor and I watched them, pleased that Eloise had obviously checked with me for permission before she acquiesced to Marcel. It made me wonder if she was growing as attached to me as I was to her.

"You have already been with her," Elijah assumed next to me. I didn't answer him, but the smirk on my face must have confirmed it. "Niklaus, that girl is all that stands between our family and the Hollow. To carry on with her...how can it end well?"

"She's different," I mused as I watched Marcel make her laugh. "She does not fear me, brother. No matter what I've done and no matter the lengths I would go to for family. She does not judge me or try to change me."

"I caution you, Niklaus. Women, and witches especially, are fickle. She's mortal, and barely seen the world. She may change or grow tired of you. And then how would you cope?"

I shrugged him off as I watched Marcel talk to Eloise. He gestured, and Vincent joined them, speaking as well. Eloise's laughs had simmered and her expression turned thoughtful with Vincent's monologue. After a moment, her lips curled down in a frown and she began to speak back to him.

I hadn't seen Eloise truly angry before. I had seen her happy, sad, stressed, alarmed, surprised, and even frustrated, but I had never seen her mad. The fury that sparked in her hazel eyes darkened her expression and her face. Her stormy expression evoked the thought of black clouds, and her body was sharp and taught. She looked as though the slightest pick to her skin would snap her in half. As she spoke, her anger transformed. People around her turned to stare as she backed Vincent off the dance floor and into a dimly lit corner. The air around her crackled with energy and couples here and there left the party quickly, unsure what to make of the sexy witch with a temper. Even my family was unsure what to do, seeing Eloise so clearly out of control. Marcel looked worriedly at me, then Freya, and turned back to stare as Eloise and Vincent disappeared from view.

I hastened to the corridor she had backed him down, and found her glaring at him as he made pleading remarks to her. Her hands, down at her sides, were sparking gold shoots from her fingertips.

Marcel grabbed Vincent and stood in front of him as I took Eloise gently by the shoulders and forced her furious eyes to look into mine.

She couldn't see me, such was her fury. Her eyes were blinded with anger, and it took several tries of her name before her eyes lit in recognition. Her hands stopped sparking and I grabbed the tops of her arms and squeezed, trying to call her back to normal.

"What has you so upset?" I asked her when her gaze locked on mine and focused. Her eyes turned from me, distracted by Vincent again. I turned her chin back to me, and her eyes reluctantly looked into mine.

"Vincent wants to use one of you for the sacrifice to awaken the Hollow. He wanted me to help him lock one of you away tonight for safe keeping." Eloise paused, her eyes searching mine. "It's wrong."

I looked over at Vincent, not surprised. Eloise's gentle warning came back to me from a few days ago. She didn't trust him, and it was unwise for me to have put any measure of faith in him.

I pet the top of Eloise's head in an effort to calm her. I could feel her eyes on me, and the warmth of her body at my side. Having her so close calmed me, and so my fury was not to its usual caliber. Eloise's hand reached for mine, and I relaxed further. I looked at Marcel, then at Vincent, and finally at Eloise.

"Go back to the party, Eloise," I told her softly. She looked as though she wanted to argue, but didn't and instead backed away from us slowly. "Now," I said, turning to Vincent. About this sacrifice..."


	7. Chapter 7

"What did you do with Vincent?" Eloise asked quietly the moment I stepped behind her in the mirror. She was taking Rebekah's diamonds out of her ears and placing them carefully on the vanity. I set my hands on either side of her on the vanity, boxing her in between the furniture and my arms.

"He's downstairs for safe keeping," I told her quietly. I breathed in her scent where it was thickest - her neck and hair. Her warm, floral scent comforted me.

"Marcel?" she asked.

I sighed. "The same."

We locked eyes in the mirror, and struck as I was by her beauty, I was struck more by the compassion in her eyes.

"You won't leave them there for long, will you?" she asked. When I didn't answer, she turned to face me, her eyes soft. "Klaus?"

The power of my name on her lips was too much.

"Whatever you wish," I promised quietly. Eloise smiled, and rewarded me with a kiss.

I couldn't help my wandering, ravenous hands as they roamed Eloise's silk-clad body.

"Klaus," she whispered against my lips. "Not here."

She was already half-naked before me, her dress had fallen to reveal her chest and torso to me. Her chest was heaving with her breaths, but her eyes were earnest. Hearing my siblings and Hayley shuffling around downstairs, I understood her hesitation.

"I have to go home to feed the cat. Let's come back here tomorrow," she offered.

I helped her tie the dress back into place, and we stole away downstairs to the garage. I loaded Eloise into the car and began the short drive to her home.

At the house, the cat meowed a complaint when we entered. Eloise hushed him and dumped food into his bowl. She hurried to her bedroom, untying the dress as she walked. When she re-emerged, she was clad only in an oversized t-shirt. Her long dark hair was scooped up into a high ponytail, and she was wiping the makeup from her face.

"Feels like a mask," she shrugged as I watched her. I smiled, preferring the natural face beneath. Though she was beautiful in a nice dress and made up, it was the girl beneath the glitter I liked.

"You were incredible tonight," I told her softly as she collapsed on the little sofa. She rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Hardly," she said quietly, patting the spot next to her. She couldn't accept compliments, no matter how sincere.

"I've never seen you angry before," I stated, changing topics. Eloise blushed, twisting her fingers together.

"It's not something that happens often," she explained. "Most of the time I'm pretty even-tempered."

"What were you thinking?" I asked, brushing my hands along her arms as I curled around her on the sofa. She leaned into my embrace, folding into my arms like she was meant to.

"I don't think I was," she murmured, her eyes unfocused. Her soft hands stroked mine absentmindedly. "My feelings were just overpowering my body. I was so angry at Vincent for being so deceitful."

"You knew he was; you told me yourself."

Eloise hesitated and cocked her head to the side. "I hoped he wasn't." Her sad pause called for a subject change.

"Let's talk about something else," I suggested, toying with the hem of her t-shirt. Her answering smile stoked the fire in me. "We could...talk about how beautiful you are...or how smart...or..."

"Klaus," she giggled as I kissed up her neck.

"You didn't want to around my family, and I understand that," I murmured in her ear. "But we're here now."

"They asked you to stay away from me," she whispered. "Even Marcel." Though she stated it, there was a question lingering in her words. I sighed.

"As I'm sure you know, I don't have a spotless record concerning women," I explained. Eloise's eyes were earnest.

"If your family is concerned about you breaking my heart, I can see their worry. But you would not be the first, and you would not be the first I hurt either. We have...many odds stacked against us. But I would not be with you if I did not have strong feelings for you." Eloise hesitated, and her hands on my neck tugged lightly on the ends of my hair. She pulled me closer for a long, lingering kiss. "I'm in this if you are. And if you aren't, I - ."

I cut her off with a long, deep kiss. My arms curled around her body, pulling her even closer on the sofa. She pulled herself into my lap, facing me, straddling me. I couldn't get her closer, and still she was too far from me.

"I'm in," I told her with conviction. I tangled my hands in her long hair. I pulled just hard enough to tug her head gently back to kiss her lightly on her neck. My jaw ached, desiring her blood, but my mind and chest turned at the thought. Eloise was not food. I kissed her neck, loving that sweet spot where her scent was strong and loving the soft sounds she made in response to my lips.

Eloise moaned in desire and I answered her moan with another kiss. Her hands roamed around my head, my neck, my face. Finally, her hands found my chest and the shirt separating my skin from hers. She pulled back just enough to tug hard and pop the buttons off my shirt as she undressed me from the waist up. I chuckled at her urgency.

"Easy, love," I murmured in her ear. "I'm right here." Eloise pulled her shirt off and pressed herself closer to me.

"Klaus," she whispered breathlessly as I flipped her down on the sofa.

* * *

The morning sun filtered in through Eloise's windows. It gave the living room a warm glow. It was hard to believe we were trying to conquer an evil spirit when the house was bathed in warm light.

Eloise was twisted beneath me on the cramped sofa. We hadn't even made it to her bedroom the previous night. I brushed her hair from her face and watched her stir slightly before snuggling deeper into the sofa.

My phone, forever inopportune, rang somewhere on the floor. I snatched it up and answered it before it could wake her and wandered into the kitchen to talk.

"What?" I snarled.

" _Are you quite finished with your...activities for now?_ " Elijah asked with an exasperated sigh. " _There is magic to be done, and you are monopolizing one of our witches. As it turns out, you are monopolizing the witch that Freya needs to confer with for a spell._ "

"She's sleeping; I am not monopolizing."

" _We're expecting you both no later than noon._ " Elijah hung up. I glanced at the time on Eloise's stove. We had 3 hours before our presence was required.

Twenty minutes later, a beautiful, naked witch was watching me make her breakfast. She leaned on the countertop, arms crossed, and rewarded me with a grin over her coffee.

"I didn't know you cooked," she said in laughter.

"I can do many things," I said as I flipped eggs. She liked them over medium. "I _have_ been around for a thousand years. You pick up on things."

"Maybe I'm surprised you cook for women the morning after," she said with a light shrug.

"I don't do that," I told her. Her brows pinched together. I smirked. "But I do cook for my girlfriend."

Eloise slipped behind me and spread her fingers across my torso. She leaned up on tiptoe to kiss my cheek and tug on my earlobe with her teeth.

"I'm not really hungry for eggs..."


	8. Chapter 8

**I did make an error in Chapter 6 of this story - Marcus, the witch that is helping the Hollow, is actually named Dominic on the show. From this chapter forward, he will be known as Dominic. Sorry for any confusion :)**

"Dad!" Hope exclaimed as Eloise and I entered the compound. She threw her arms around me and began rattling all about her day and her dreams since we had last seen each other the day before. I smiled and spoke with her quietly while Elijah appeared and gave Eloise and I a disapproving look. It was 1:30.

"An hour and a half behind schedule," he intoned quietly. Eloise glanced at me before smiling at Elijah.

"It was my fault. I woke up late and then I had to gather some herbs from my garden for Freya. I'm sorry," she explained quietly. While the gathering the herbs was true, she did fib on waking up late. We woke in plenty of time to get to the compound on time.

"I see," Elijah said quietly. He glanced up the stairs. "Freya is waiting for you." Eloise smiled uncomfortably and turned to go upstairs. I was betting she could sense the tension Elijah was projecting towards the two of us. "Niklaus, a word?"

"Run along and play, I'll see you later," I told Hope. She smiled and ran off.

"Freya will be working with Eloise to seal Hope, Hayley, and you inside the compound. I have some business to attend to outside." Elijah led me down a short hallway where Hayley was waiting.

"I found this looking through my parents' old things," Hayley said, producing a very old looking jaw bone.

"Another bone," Elijah explained. "Now there are two remaining."

"Why I will be cooped up here is beyond me," I said simply. "We should be looking for the other bones, or seeking out the Hollow's followers. Why are we being confined here?"

"Because the Hollow would love to see you dead, and Hayley and Hope need to be kept safe," Elijah said. "It is not up for discussion." Elijah paused, cocking his head. "The spell is complete."

Elijah disappeared, leaving me alone with Hayley. She sighed and tilted her head to the side.

"For what it's worth..." Hayley smiled a little. "I like her."

I opened my mouth to speak, but Hayley spoke again.

"I know Elijah is not thrilled. Marcel isn't either. Vincent disapproves. I just wanted you to know that someone is in your corner. I like her. She's nice, and she's good with Hope. I hope it works out with her."

I smirked, poised to reply, when we were interrupted by Freya.

"Alright, you three are sealed inside. Eloise and I will be back later," Freya stated simply. I stiffened, as I was not looking forward to being confined to the compound, and especially without Eloise around for a distraction.

"And where are you two off to?" I demanded. Freya rolled her eyes, but Eloise tensed. I had never raised my voice to her before. I hoped she saw the quick apology in my eyes, but she was looking at her feet.

"We need to collect some things for the Hollow to be reborn. Eloise knows where to look."

"There's something else involved other than the bones?" I asked quietly. Eloise's dark eyes flashed up.

"Soil from her family's original settlement. It's not far from here," Eloise said quietly.

"When will you be back?" I asked. She wasn't even gone and I already missed her presence. She was a light in the darkness; a reminder that this horror would soon be over.

"Well, it depends on when we leave," Freya said with another eye roll. "Call us for an emergency. Though I can't imagine there would be one."

* * *

Two hours later, Eloise and Freya had yet to return and Hayley had roped me into going through boxes with her. I was thumbing through old photos when my phone rang.

"Klaus," Eloise said in a soft voice.

"Eloise? What is it?" I asked her, confused. I had never spoken to her on the phone before. Her calling was odd.

"I - something's happened to Freya. I think it's Dominic. He's done something to her." She paused. "Klaus, she doesn't have a heartbeat. She tied the seal to her heartbeat. You, Hayley, and Hope need to get out of there!" There was a clatter, then Eloise's voice was muffled. "I'm starting CPR. Get out of there before Dominic comes for you!"

I heard Eloise counting compressions and exchanged a look with Hayley. She'd heard every word.

"I'll get Hope, meet you at the car," she said as she ran from the room. I ran after her, listening to the house for any signs of attack.

Hayley darted around, but found me at the entrance to the compound, frantic.

"They're not here - Hope, Marcel, Vincent - they're gone."

"We have something more pressing," I told her, hearing them near.

"More press - ," Hayley was cut off as she was magically flung against the wall. I rounded on whoever dared and ripped out a heart, not caring to see who it belonged to.

Hayley and I tore through Dominic's followers quickly, though he disappeared before either of us could get to him. When we were sure the witches were dead, we ran through the tunnels, looking for any sign of Vincent, Marcel, or Hope.

We found Marcel and Hope on a bench outside of Rousseau's. Hope ran to me, Marcel lingered on the bench.

"Dad," she said. "Dad, don't be mad...There were some bad guys. And Marcel made them go away. He's my friend. Please don't hurt him, Dad."

Her words stirred something in me...through all of the spite, drama, and backstabbing, Marcel was still family.

"I won't hurt him," I told her quietly. She smiled, and it held the brilliance of the sun.

* * *

I released Marcel on the condition he would come at any call for assistance, and that he would keep his distance from Vincent.

It was back at the compound that I found Freya, her werewolf friend, and Eloise. Eloise looked tired, but she smiled on sight of me.

Elijah appeared, spattered in blood, and looked at Eloise.

"If you wouldn't mind," he began politely. "I need your assistance."

Eloise looked cautiously at Elijah, then at me.

"No need to look to my brother for permission. You're both welcome to join me."

I stiffened at Elijah's remark. Whatever he had done, it must have been terrible.

We followed him to the cemetery where Vincent was crouched over a platform with four dead girls on it. Elijah handed Eloise a large knife that I recognized from the Harvest Ritual. Eloise looked from the knife, to the girls, to Vincent, and to Elijah.

"What have you done?" she whispered, agony evident in her voice and on her face.

"Vincent has been attempting to complete the ritual, but the spirits are refusing him." Elijah paused. "You are here to assist."

"Elijah, did you kill these girls?" Eloise asked. Her voice was still hushed, though I couldn't tell if it was reverence for the dead or from the shock.

"Was I the one who used the blade? Yes. Will they be dead because of me? No. That is why you and Vincent are here. It will be your fault if they are not resurrected, not mine."

"This is not a ritual, Elijah, this is slaughter. First, these girls have to be selected. Then, they're prepared and killed during a ritual using magic and spells. It has to be done a certain wa-," Elijah stopped Eloise's explanation.

"Four French Quarter witches killed on consecrated ground with a sacrificial knife. Seems as though all that's missing is your magic."

"I'm not a French Quarter witch, let alone their elder."

"And yet, I did some digging and one of your very old relatives was. So I see no reason you can't perform the spell."

"That was a distant relative. And she was not consecrated here. Her magic lives in me still, and the ancestors do not accept me as one of their coven because of it."

"Semantics," Elijah decided, waving his hand. "Try, see if you can do it."

Elijah's coldness was uncharacteristic, and yet it sparked something in Eloise.

Eloise stalked up to the platform and the fires erupted in their pits as she raised her arms. She gave Vincent a harsh look and he scurried off the platform and leaned against a tomb.

"In order to be reborn, we must have a sacrifice. In order to be reborn, we must have faith."

Eloise began chanting, and within minutes, the four Harvest witches gasped awake, clutching each other. Eloise comforted them and turned to look at Elijah.

"You're lucky I was friends with some recently departed ancestors."

Eloise stepped off of the platform and walked to my side. She looked up at me, eyes calm, heart racing.

"I'm ready to go now."

With a lingering look on the scene before me, I whisked Eloise away.

* * *

"There's an order to everything," Eloise stated as she paced in her tiny house. I had made her tea, forced her to sit, and suggested my arms. Nothing calmed her. "Elijah made this decision and changed the order of things. I need to figure out if the plan will still work..." She started mumbling under her breath. She pulled out her phone and began typing rapidly on the screen. She threw her phone down and pulled several grimoires down from the shelf in the living room. She flipped through the pages frantically.

"Perhaps Freya," I began. Eloise shook her head.

"No, no..."

"Eloise," I tried.

"Too many..."

"Sit with me, love," I asked her softly. She stopped, looked to me, and calmed. I pulled her down into my embrace and held her while she let me. Her racing heart slowed until she was breathing normally and the beat was steady.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. Her voice was sincere, as were her eyes. "I've been preparing for this my whole life. My family has been preparing for this for generations. We devised a plan. A clear plan. I'm just scared it won't work now." She wiped tears from her eyes. "I can't imagine how scared they were. To have not been prepared..."

"They are fine now, because you were able to perform the ritual. You saved them, my love."

"They shouldn't have needed saving," Eloise said softly. She shook her head. "What's done is done, I..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "And now I need to talk to you about what comes next. I haven't told you everything about my family. And I want you to know it was to protect you and your family."

Something similar to anger surged in me, tempered by my affection for Eloise and my admiration for her protection.

"Tell me," I said. And so she did.


	9. Chapter 9

"My family may have finally met its match," I murmured softly. Eloise's blush had not let up since she had detailed her family's complicated experiments, research, and twisted genealogy to me.

"Look, I understand how insane all of this is," she said quietly, almost choking on her brimming tears. I took her face between both of my hands and hushed her.

"You mistake my words for judgement. It's awe, and admiration for you. You have endured this legacy with poise and have never wavered in loyalty to your family." Eloise still looked confused, and so I kissed her. "I'm not angry for you hiding this secret from me. I understand loyalty to one's family."

Eloise threw her arms around me, and in a whisper, said the words I had been longing to hear from her.

"I love you, Klaus." She turned her head and kissed me hard, effectively silencing my reciprocating murmur. She broke her searing kiss to continue whispers that had me falling further and further in love with her. "I know that you've killed people for lying, and lesser lies than mine. I see you, and I see how you've changed. First through Hope, and then from me. I accept you, Klaus. The murderer, the monster, the man. I accept and love every part of you."

I couldn't help myself from covering her face with kisses, from pressing her body to mine, from claiming her over and over again with my lips. She loved me. And I her.

* * *

We met them at a small cafe in the Quarter. There were four of them, four of her family that she had kept hidden from the world. The world thought they were dead, and yet here they stood, tan and bronzed from their time in coastal France.

They stood when we approached, and their eyes scanned me - judging, I could tell. Probing.

"Eloise," one said with open arms. She smiled a fraction of a true smile as she stepped into his arms. He resembled her in the shape of their eyes and his coloring. His hair was dark, his eyes hazel. The difference was the masculine cut to his chin, his larger nose, and his worn look. Where Eloise was vibrant and full of magic, this man looked tired and human.

After their brief embrace, the family began a conversation with Eloise in sign language. She had told me before we approached them that they didn't know her curse was lifted and they would communicate her with sign language to cut me out of the conversation. Eloise moved her hands fluently, playing into their conversation. She gestured to me several times. Finally, one of the two girls stepped forward.

"Hello," she said with a stretched out palm. "I'm Mary. Eloise and I are cousins." I shook her hand gently.

"Klaus," I told her. "It's a pleasure." She offered a tentative smile.

"Anne," said the brunette, shaking my hand as well. "Eloise told us wonderful things about you."

"Did she?" I asked with a grin. There was no doubt in my mind that these people knew who I was and yet...they were civil. No anger, no animosity. It was the warmest welcome I had been given in centuries.

The two men were silent. Eloise made a gesture to the two of them. They reluctantly stepped forward and shook my hand.

"Jamie," said the younger. The brother/cousin.

"Christopher," said the older. The uncle.

We all gathered around the table. Once the waitress had brought us all drinks, Eloise opened her mouth.

"Anyone ever heard of a siphon witch before?" she asked the table. Her family choked on their drinks and I laughed in delight. "Klaus' family has. They found one to cure me."

"Eloise," Christopher began. She waved his sentiment away.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is our plan. We are very close to having the Hollow reborn. We're just missing two bones."

"That's been taken care of," Jamie said with deep frown.

Christopher pulled a box from under the table and slid it across to Eloise. She opened one side to peek inside.

"Who's going to be the messenger?" Jamie asked.

"Me," Eloise said simply.

"That's too dangerous," said Christopher with a head shake. "If they suspect, even for a moment..."

"It'll be fine," she said decisively. "And as much as I respect you as an elder, Uncle Chris, I'm the one that was left here. Alone. I'm the one in charge now."

I had to restrain myself from grinning uncontrollably at watching my Eloise take control. Her strength was something to be reckoned with, and I was eager to see if her family would bow to her power.

Christopher said nothing. He dropped his eyes. Eloise won.

"First she needs to be reborn. Then comes the rest," Eloise said. Under the table, I watched her hands tremble.

* * *

The Hollow was reborn.

Eloise delivered the remaining bones to Dominic.

The followers raised her.

She was walking around the city, powerful and free.

And the danger was closer than ever.


	10. Chapter 10

"We need to get up," Eloise said with a groan. She had just rolled over to the sound of her fifth alarm. I was watching her struggle to rise from the deep comfort of her mattress.

"Sleep," I told her quietly. "They can wait."

"My uncle and brother are not patient," Eloise yawned. "They're anxious to get ready now that she's back."

The Hollow had reclaimed her human form. She was skulking about with the witches but had not yet attacked us. Though the Hollow had made no moves, Eloise seemed constantly on edge. I tried to imagine what it felt like for her - her family's expectations, trickled down for generations. The demands of her uncle and brother. The crushing weight of the community and their desire to have this evil vanquished. We had freed Vincent - grudgingly on my part - to rally the witches against the Hollow and her followers. But still, there was an eeriness in the air. Nature was roiling. A storm was coming.

"What are you doing with them today?" I asked, trying to keep the contempt from my voice. Since they had arrived, Christopher and Jamie had been controlling and rude. I disliked the way they treated Eloise.

" _That_ you might actually like," she said with a laugh. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at me. "Jamie's target practice."

"Target practice?" I asked her as she rolled out of bed to get dressed. Eloise stripped out of my shirt she had chosen to wear to bed and offered me a peek at the long tattoo decorating her spine - the phases of the moon. She pulled on a pretty green dress that brought out the shoots of green in her dark eyes.

"You're enjoying that thought a little too much," Eloise laughed. She slipped on a pair of shoes and scooped her hair up into a ponytail.

"You using your insulting brother as target practice? I need more details," I said with a devilish grin.

"Okay. The plan to defeat the Hollow centers around unraveling the magic around her soul. It's a difficult spell, and one my family only uses when we're near death and want to pass on our magic. It's so difficult that many times we need help doing it. To use it on the Hollow, I need to practice. This is the purpose my brother serves."

I kept my comment to myself, as I knew 'he deserves it' would upset her gentle heart. Instead, I took her hands in mine and twined her arms around her neck.

"You can do this," I said instead, sensing her anxiety. She let out a long sigh, but said nothing. Her eyes were far away.

* * *

Her family was waiting for us at the compound. The girls were sitting, speaking softly with Freya and Hayley. Chris and Jamie stood uncomfortably apart from the women.

"Sorry we're late," I said, offering no explanation.

"Let's just get this over with," Chris said, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets.

"Gladly," Eloise said with a head tilt. Jamie was lifted into the air and Eloise looked at him sympathetically. "Sorry, Jamie." Eloise raised her arms and Jamie began swirling in the air. Eloise made small movements with her hands and Jamie began grunting in pain. Eventually, the grunts turned to yelps. It took several minutes before anything seemed to be happening. Small ribbons of light began peeling away from his raised form. Eloise's cousins and Chris watched on in awe. Eloise artfully pulled the ribbons away from Jamie and had the light dancing across the ceiling. They all swirled into a tight ball of light. When there was no more light enveloping Jamie, he dropped to the ground and Eloise pulled the ball of light down to sit between her hands.

"Incredible," Chris murmured. "That spell took your mother years to master."

"Well I'm not my mother." Eloise was not as impressed as Chris. She looked sympathetically to Jamie, who seemed to be in considerable pain on the floor.

"Here," she said as she allowed the magic to unfurl and swirl back to him. He breathed deeply and stood on shaky legs from the floor.

"Remind me not to piss you off," Jamie said quietly with a wince. The two girls helped him reach a chair where he sat in relief.

"She's a force," I said, trying to keep the pride from my voice and failing miserably. Eloise rolled her eyes and tried to hide a smile.

"Well, this has been fun. _Really_ ," Chris said sarcastically. "But you need to keep practicing. The Hollow is much stronger than Jamie."

"Alright," Jamie said as he stood on shaky legs. "Hit me again."

"You're barely recovered," Eloise said, rushing to his side to push him back down to the chair. He collapsed in it, but made to stand again.

"Recovery isn't the goal. Mastery is."

"I would call that mastery of a spell, Jamie. I didn't break a sweat. It was finished in minutes."

"Minutes that you may not have when the Hollow is trying to kill you while you cast it." Eloise sighed in annoyance at Chris' chastising tone. "You didn't think it would be as easy as this?"

"No," Eloise said. "But practicing like this won't help."

"So let's practice with an attack," one of the girls suggested.

"Mary," Jamie protested. The blonde witch rolled her eyes.

"Did you think we came for the beignets?" she asked him. "Anne and I are here to help."

"Let's try," Anne said. "Go for it, El."

Eloise shoved Jamie in the air, less gently this time. Anne and Mary circled her, hitting her as many times as they could with sparks, fire, and anything that would startle her. Chris watched on, as did I, as Eloise deflected every shot that came at her.

The unraveling did not take Eloise longer with the attacks, though it made for a more interesting show. By the end, when Eloise had the bright ball of light in her hands, even Chris looked grudgingly impressed.

"Keep practicing," he snapped as he left.


End file.
